Research interests

The main focus of my research is on traumatic cartilage defect treatment by cell therapy and tissue engineering using scaffold-based and scaffold-free approaches. Apart from chondrocytes I investigate adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells as alternative cell source, their differentiation capacity and anti-inflammatory treatments. A special focus lies on the tissue architecture and scaffold-based guidance of matrix deposition. The second field of interest are biological adhesives as bionic strategy for tissue glue development. Morphological, biochemical and functional material analysis are used to characterize substances in terms of their composition, mechanobiological properties and bonding strength as well as biocompatibility.

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

Our lab routinely performs in vitro research using techniques from cell biology, imaging, biochemistry and molecular biology. We have expertise in primary cell isolation and culture, redifferentiation of chondrocytes and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, dynamic seeding and three-dimensional culture systems. We perform in vitro imaging and cell tracking by lentiviral transduction. The most frequently used methods for analysis are histology, electron microscopy, biochemical essays such as ELISAs and RT-qPCR. In cooperations we perform in vitro bioreactor studies and perform analysis with µCT, nano-CT and MRI imaging.